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This entry was originally posted in October 2016. Since its publication I have had several requests for the recipe, so I am including it again here with edits / additional images from my findings since it was first published.

Range of Osage-derived color on wool, silk, cotton, and linen.

Side Note: Although Natural Dyes found their way into my routine over a decade ago, I am just now beginning to feel confident in my ability to produce certain colors from locally foraged material. My goal is to provide a glimpse into the processes I use, although you will find that there are many different ways to approach this particular topic of interest. A majority of my dye work takes place outside, over an open fire. I tend to gravitate towards materials that are not as heat sensitive, and therefore are a bit more forgiving when it comes to long exposure over a flame.

I have found that Alpaca and Cotton (and other cellulose fibers) do not take natural dyes as readily as wool, thus I gravitate towards material that will help give them an extra boost instead of the ones that look good upon first inspection, but tend to wash out over time. It has been a long journey of figuring out the most suitable materials for my particular processes, so I would like to share a few things I have learned along the way in an attempt to encourage fellow dyers and provide some information on this particular topic of interest.

I was never a huge fan of the color yellow until I discovered Osage Orange. It should be noted that you may obtain gorgeous hues from flowers such as Queen Anne's Lace, Marigolds, Coreopsis, and Black Eyed Susan, but I have found that Osage works better for my approach especially when considering larger quantities of fabric/fiber.

Sawdust and smaller sized chips are best to work with, although you can obtain dye from the fallen branches and smaller logs once they have had time to soak in water for several days.

Osage Orange is very high in natural tannins and is known as a substantive dye; therefore it does not require a mordant. (A mordant is a fixative that allows dye molecules to bind to fiber) Although a mordant isn't required, you can alter the hue by experimenting with different treatments before, during, or after the dyeing process. Because of this, Osage Orange can range in color from vibrant yellow to olive green.

To extract the color from the wood, I usually heat a huge pot of Osage over my dye pit. For this particular example, I downsized to a normal sized cooking pot since most folks don't have a witch kitchen setup in their backyard. Both an indoor stove or an outdoor fire pit will work just fine.

Put wood chips / sawdust in a metal pot (stainless is preferable) and slowly raise the temperature to 180 -ish degrees. Some recipes I have read will tell you not to let the water boil, but I have left a pot unattended and come back to find it boiling out of control, and the dye worked just fine. Heat to just below a boil or don't, the main thing here is time.

The longer you soak, the more color that will be extracted. 24 hours at minimum in my opinion.

Once the wood chips / sawdust has completed the soaking process, strain the water so that particles are not left in the dye bath. (A metal strainer covered with cheese cloth or a ripped up t-shirt work well for the smaller sawdust particles.)

You can save your sawdust / wood chips for later use. After straining, I dry the material on an old screen door and store it in an opened cardboard box in the garage .

For this recipe I used several types of fiber in order to show how differently each one takes the dye. To keep things simple, none of the fabric / fiber has had a mordant treatment. All samples were washed in warm water before being put in the dye vat.

Once the samples had been thoroughly soaked, I added them to the dye vat and heated it to a low simmer for several hours. I allowed the vat to heat and cool several times over the course of 24 hours. Exact replication of a heating method is not crucial. I find that when dyeing over an extended period of time, I have to turn the stove off to run errands or sleep, so naturally the vat will heat and cool with the ebb and flow of everyday life. For this particular recipe the dye was in the vat for roughly 1 day, though I usually allow my vats to sit longer. (3-5 days are ideal) Have I mentioned yet that Patience is a key ingredient?

Took me awhile to figure that one out, but it's definitely necessary.

After a good soak it's time to reveal the magic.

For best results, hang all freshly dyed goods in the shade and allow them to fully dry before washing them with a mild soap. (I use Dr. Bronner's for fabric (hemp, cotton, linen) and Unicorn Fibre Rinse for all yarn and raw fiber (alpaca, wool, cashmere). From my experience, allowing the samples to fully dry before rinsing them seems to lock in the color.

The samples above have been washed and dried. As you can see, Wool steals the show, per usual. The Hemp fabric is actually a lovely color yellow, though it looks pale in comparison to the others.

Depending on how much you have dyed, you may be able to re-use your dye vat several more times before it is fully exhausted.

Outdoor Setup during a recent afternoon dyeing with friends.

Osage has the capability of using varying canvases to achieve a wide range of hues. At some point I would love to explore the depth of colors produced from each type of natural fiber, but for now I mainly focus on Alpaca, Wool, Cotton, and Hemp.

**If you are interested in achieving a wider range of greens, you will need to first dye the fabric / fiber with Osage only. Remove from vat and allow to fully dry, which will help lock the color in. Add iron ( I use iron tablets available at any grocery / drug store) to the Osage vat and heat to allow it to fully dissolve. Once the vat changes from yellow to green, you can add the previously dyed yellow fabric and watch it transform, sometimes as quickly as it hits the water. (If you are having trouble changing from yellow to green, keep adding more iron) Make sure to keep an eye on the vat, as it will eventually change from green to gray if left too long.

In hopes of spreading the love, I am offering 8 oz. packages of Osage Orange Natural Dye Supply chips (while supplies last) in the shop. If you are interested in experimenting with different fabric and fiber, I also offer a Natural Dye Supply Starter Kit that includes sample swatches along with the Osage wood chips.

If weaving is more your thing, I have listed several Fiber Bundle packs filled with various Osage-dyed materials, along with metal Frame Loom Weaving Kits that are perfect for spontaneous creative experimentation.

As the Holidays approach I will be filling the shop with oodles of textile creations including handwoven scarves, rust dyed linens, felted vessels, sprinkled with several colorways of Fiber Bundles along the way. Please keep in touch and holler at me with any custom order requests, I do love a good collaboration.

One of my favorite aspects about living on a farm is the opportunity to share its magic with visitors, especially children. Over the past three years I have had the honor of hosting all sorts of folks, yet school groups remain a constant source of inspiration and motivation for designing new programs and building the infrastructure to support them.

Normal Park Museum Magnet 3rd grade 11.17

My humble farm measures a little over 3 acres; within those boundaries lies an extraordinary amount of hands-on experiences. First and foremost, everyone's favorite (and mine too) is hanging out with the resident critters. Most of the herd is standoffish unless there is food involved. Then we have Mrs. Brown.

St. Andrew's Sewanee High School 2.18

Piece by piece, I am tackling projects around the farm in order to create a layout that is most conducive to welcoming guests by offering a safe learning environment for all ages.

[Happy to report that the patchwork chain link fence in the background of the photo below has finally been removed, hallelujah!]

Nashville Waldorf | Home school 5.16

One of the best parts of the farm isn't visible from the road or the back yard. Tucked away on the back corner of the farm, a grove of Hemlocks + Pine Trees is surrounded by two creeks that wind along the edge of the property, and eventually meet to form a tiny peninsula.

A footpath has been carved along this hidden gem of woodland; all farm tour attendees are invited to enjoy a stroll.

Into the woods, 11.17

Along the path guests will find a stack of White Oak Logs that have been inoculated with Shiitake spores. Depending on the weather there could be a flush of edible mushrooms.

Inspecting the Shiitake Logs 11.17

Shiitake Specimen 11.17

This small patch of wooded area offers a multitude of learning opportunities which we have just begun to explore, although Woodland Weaving has quickly become a favorite theme.

Last Autumn a group of roughly 100 3rd graders had the opportunity to take a walk in the woods and contribute to a community weaving project using scrap fabric + natural elements. This unique collaborative project has inspired the practice of woodland weaving to be included in more workshops and gatherings here at the farm.

Every spring the resident alpacas receive their annual haircuts, yielding several different qualities of fiber with a variety of end uses. In order to make the most of each year's harvest, I tend to stick to a system that utilizes all the fiber from my humble herd of 8 with minimal waste.

The first cuts / prime fiber is carded + spun into yarn, that will be woven into scarves and knit / crocheted into hats. The seconds are combined with other fiber (usually some type of wool) and are spun / dyed to be used as accents in scarves, hats, and woven tapestries.

The thirds are reserved for felting projects + farm tours.

[image via neafp.com]

The idea of utilizing the thirds was gleaned from a conversation I had while visiting with my alpaca gurus, Bill + Sherry Watkins. Sherry told me to sandwich the fiber in between two layers of tarps. After spraying the fiber with soapy water I was to let the kids burn off some energy by jumping on the tarp, thus turning the fiber below their feet into felt.

Genius.

So that's exactly what we did.

After several rounds of these felting episodes, we have managed to put together a series of art pieces created from the collaborative effort of a bunch of stomping people + a few repurposed resources.

These felted panels were created using a combination of alpaca 3rds + various colors of naturally-dyed wool from my neighbor's sheep. Once the student masterpieces had dried, I needle felted them together onto cotton twill fabric, then stapled the fabric around a couple pieces of recycled plywood. These types of collaborative projects are always evolving as various materials become available. I just so happened to score the plywood from my neighbor who was tearing down an old tree house and had saved the flooring.

I am grateful for this extremely fruitful plot of land, which has allowed me to host groups of all types. If you are interested in visiting the farm, please feel free to get in touch and let's plan an experience catered to your group's interests.

These looms were created as a way to teach the basics of weaving to my first ever Farm Tour attendees, a home school group of 20+, ranging in age from 2 to 12. At that time I had access to a metal fabrication shop and a pile of scrap materials, so I managed to piece together a handful of metal rectangles that would serve as frame looms, each measuring roughly 6" x 9".

2013 - first farm tour + home school experience, weaving with Radiant Shade

The kids took surprisingly well to both warping the loom and simple weaving techniques, using ripped up bed sheet fabric in various colors. The looms were sturdy enough to withstand being dropped and stepped on (both of which happened) but light enough to allow an independent young artist to work on their project without constant assistance from an adult.

These looms were originally created to teach the next generation about basic fundamentals of weaving, but as time passed and the popularity of this ancient art spread, I have modified them and created a series of 100% naturally dyed and locally sourced Weaving Kits to serve as an approachable way to learn a craft that holds endless creative potential.

If you have arrived at this post because you purchased a kit and would like to know how to warp your recently purchased metal frame loom, thank you so much for supporting my shop! If you already have a frame loom, welcome! Some of these techniques may not work exactly the same with your setup, but are most likely pretty adaptable if you want to follow along. If you are extra thrifty and have a picture frame (without the back) or anything rectangular (scrap wood nailed together), you may also find this tutorial helpful in warping your homemade loom.

Welded Metal Frame Looms in Slate, White, Moss

Supplies. You'll need a frame (loom), some pretty sturdy yarn, and a dowel or something similar. In the Weaving Kit you may find a spool with wool thread on it. Unwind yarn from that fancy little spool and you're ready to go. In order to secure the dowel to the frame, you'll need two 8" pieces of yarn.

Step 1 - Attaching the Dowel

1. Lay the Metal Frame Loom on a flat surface, positioned so that the vertical posts are on top. Position the dowel at the top of the frame (along vertical posts) and secure either ends with string. Wrap the dowel + horizontal post several times and triple knot for good measure. You will want the dowel to be pretty securely tied at either end, as it is going to serve as a foundation for warping in the next step.

Step 2 - Preparing an Impromptu Warping Ball + Triple Knot Location

2. Once the dowels are tied securely to the top of the loom, measure roughly 3 wing spans of yarn (your arms spread wide open, three times) and wrap loosely around 3 fingers. You've just made a little impromptu warping ball. (see above photo for reference). Tie the end of your warping ball to the lower horizontal bar, about 1" away from the left edge. Triple knot for good measure.

Step 3 - Warping Around the Dowel ONLY

Listen up folks, this is important.

3. Take your impromptu warping ball and wrap it up and over the dowel but NOT over the top of the metal frame. (see above photo for reference). To repeat, you will go up and over the dowel only, which will force you to squish your impromptu yarn ball in between the wooden dowel and the top of the metal frame.

Step 4- Warping + Tension

4. Warping Success - [watch this video tutorial first] Once you have rounded the dowel, go back down and wrap the yarn around the bottom of the metal frame. Repeat this process roughly 6 times, or until you run out of string. You will want to have pretty tight tension once your warping is complete. (The video tutorial link above shows a good technique for doing this.)

Step 5 - Spacing

5- As you are warping your loom, be mindful that you want to have relatively even spacing between the yarn. I suggest allowing 3/4" in between each string when starting out so as not to overwhelm yourself with the first project. You can adjust this as you are going, or you can wait until the end once you have tied off the warp string.

Step 6- Tie Off

6- Once you have made roughly 6 passes from top to bottom, tie off the yarn at the bottom, triple knot for good measure (see above photo) If you don't have enough yarn to make it to the bottom of your loom, unwrap it once and don't worry about the excess yarn (You can use it in the next step). The reason you want to tie off on the bottom is for aesthetics, but it also gives you an even number of strings to work with which makes it easier if you decide to get into pattern work or making shapes in the future.

Step 7 - The "P"

7. This is the hardest thing to explain in my opinion, but once you get it, you're golden. Doing this step helps set the foundation for the weaving. It brings the warp strings onto an even plane and sets you up for a nice, even weaving experience. Having said that, this step isn't required, it's just highly suggested.

The image above shows this step a few strings in so that you can see how to make the knot. Start with an 18" piece of yarn and knot it on the furthest left (#1) warp string. Going from the furthest left string (#1) to the string immediately to its right, you will lay the yarn over the #2 string, making a "P", then wrapping it behind #2 and back through the open loop of the P, and pulling relatively tight. The image above shows the same exact process going from the #2 to #3 warp strings. You will repeat this process all the way across the top of the loom until you get to the end, where you will tie a triple knot for good measure.

Follow this low budget video tutorial (above) that will add a bit further explanation. You will want to complete these steps for each warp string all the way across, connecting each warp in a series of loops, as seen in the photo below. (triple knot at the end for good measure)

Warped + Knotted

Now that the warping is complete and foundation row of knots has been tied, you're ready to start weaving.

8. Weaving Magic. At this point the world is your oyster and you can get as creative as you like.

Here are a few very basic weaving videos to get you started, although you will find a large rabbit hole from simply typing "Introduction to Weaving" on YouTube tutorials, using the #weaveweird hashtag on Instagram.... heck even Pinterest has some pretty amazing ideas out there. No shame.

9- Once you are finished with your woven masterpiece you will want to secure it at the bottom with some basic knots. (triple knot for good measure) Start on one side of the loom and cut the first two strings (three will come undone because one is a loop) and tie the first two together, repeating this process all the way across (see above photo for reference) Make sure to pull the knots snug against the bottom of your weaving, but be conscious not to tie too tight to keep from distorting the shape of your piece.

Step 10 - Releasing the Weaving

10- Once you have cut and tied the warp strings on the bottom of your piece, you can now cut the top two threads holding the dowel in place. Your masterpiece is free from the loom! The above image illustrates the threads to cut in red. When removing your piece from the loom, make sure NOT to cut any of the threads looped around the dowel, as they are holding your woven piece in place.

Step 11 - Personalize + Hang

Once you have removed your piece from the loom, you can now swap out the dowel for a more personal touch - a branch, knitting needle, animal bone, etc. Tie a string to either side of whatever hanging device you chose (triple knot for good measure) and it's ready to hang.

Holiday 2015 Weavings, hanging from found animal bones.

Disclaimer.

There are as many ways to successfully warp and weave as there are breeds of sheep roaming the Earth. (check it out, you'll be astounded!) Here is my humble offering of one of those many ways in which I've found it to work. Please feel free to add to this discussion in the comments section below; sources of inspiration and demonstration are encouraged.